This invention relates to pharmacist's tools for filling packages and dispensers and more particularly to dispensers of drugs in the form of pills, capsules, tablets and the like, hereinafter generically called "pills".
Generally, a pharmacist fills a prescription by hand, counting the prescribed number of pills and putting them in bottles with labels. Another form for packaging pills involves putting the pills into fold-over drug cards which hold a month's or more supply of pills. The fold-over card comprises a backing card with a plurality of holes and a separate blister sheet. In order to fill the fold-over card the blister sheet is placed on the backing card so that the individual blisters or cavities on the blister sheet fit into the plurality of holes on the backing card. The blister sheet and fold-over card are then placed in a sealing tray to hold them in place and one or more pills are placed in each blister or cavity. When the card is filled, the sealing tray, which may hold several cards, is placed in a heat sealing machine and the fold-over card is sealed and subsequently labeled. Such cards are often used in nursing homes and similar institutions where a large number of pills are regularly distributed to long-term residents or patients.
There are some very special and important problems related to the dispensing of drugs in the form of pills. Each pill must be taken on a prescribed schedule, which is generally different from the schedules prescribed for other types of pills. This particularly becomes a problem in the context of hospitals, nursing homes, and the like, where a large number of various kinds of pills are dispensed daily for many individuals, some of whom may be long-term patients. When the number of dispensed pills is large, there may also be a problem of accountability. The person giving the pills should have a quick and easy way of accounting for whether the correct drugs were taken at the correct time.
Another problem with the dispensing of pills is that very often it is done by hand, counting out the pills and placing them in cups, in bottles or in cards. The process of hand counting pills and placing them in correct containers is time consuming and subject to error.
Yet another problem is that the pharmacist must handle each of the pills. Any residue from one drug which is left on the pharmacist's hands may contaminate subsequently handled drugs.
Still another problem that is encountered with the use of fold-over cards is that they cannot be stacked for filling and sealing. Because the blister sheet and backing card are separate pieces, they must be held in place for filling and sealing in a sealing tray. Otherwise, the blister sheet and backing card will separate. Consequently, only a few cards can be sealed at the same time, which is not efficient.
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a new and improved packaging and dispensing system for drugs in pill, capsule or tablet form. Since pills generally come in five standard sizes or shapes, an object is to provide such dispensers with means for dispensing the proper number of pills, regardless of size or shape.
Another object of this invention is to provide a quick and easy means for packaging and dispensing pills, and a means which ultimately gives the person distributing the pills a quick and accurate method of establishing accountability.
Yet another object of this invention relates to costs. A complex packaging system with many moving parts and a complicated work cycle would not be economically practical in many situations such as nursing homes, hospitals and independent pharmacies. Thus, an object is to provide an economical packaging system a pharmacy or druggist can use to package pills in an efficient and cost saving manner.
Still another object is to provide a packaging and dispensing system in which the druggist or pharmacist does not touch the pills or risk contamination of one drug from a previous handling of other drugs.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a packaging and dispensing system which is simple in construction and easy to use and clean.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a packaging and dispensing system for filling fold-over drug cards so that a relatively large number of cards can be stacked and sealed at one time.